Pulley



Feb 14, 1939. w. H. ZIMBALIST 2,147,183

PULLEY Filed May 5, 1937 ATTORNEY I Patented Feb. 14, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to pulleys and particularly to devices of this class designed for use in connection with clothes lines, and the object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described which, by virtue of the simplicity and economy in the method of constructing the same, can be sold at a nominal cost while at the same time producing a highly efiicient and free acting pulley by virtue of the ball bearing mounting provided; a further object being to provide a device of the class described which consists primarily of three parts, two of the parts being duplicated in the formation of the complete device, thus simplifying die costs and cost of production as a Whole, making it possible to sell the device at an economical price; a still further object being to provide a device of the character described wherein the pulley is disposed and substantially concealed within a housing including outwardly extending channels at opposite sides of the housing forming guides for the clothes line or other member, passed around the pulley to prevent displacement of the line from the pulley; and with these and other objects in view the invention consists in a pulley device of the character described which is constructed as more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification of which the accompanying drawing forms a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in Which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through a pulley made according to my invention and indicating the method of its use.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the device as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and,

Fig. 4 is an exploded view showing the several parts of the device in perspective and relative alinement with each other for assemblage.

In constructing my improved pulley device, I provide three primary parts, namely: a casing part 5, a pulley part 6, and a pin or shaft 1. In forming the complete device two of the casing parts 5 are employed, the second part being indicated at 5a in Fig. 4 of the drawing, and two pulley parts are employed, the second part being illustrated at 6a in Fig. 4 of the drawing, but in that each of the latter parts are identical in form, the brief description of one will apply to the other.

The part 5 consists of a plate 8 having an inturned flange 9 about all of the edges thereof with the exception of the edge l0, so as to form a hollow casing-part, the plate 8 being offset inwardly as seen at l l at the central portion thereof and having an aperture-l2 through which the outwardly projecting studs l3' on the part I are adapted to pass and to be riveted over as seen at M in Fig. 3 of' the drawing, in coupling the two parts 5-5a together. The flange 9 in conjunction with the curved ofiset IS on the plate 8 forms a substantially circular or dish-shaped housing in which the pulley is free to operate, as will be clearly seen in Fig. 3 of the drawing but the plate is fashioned at the upper and lower edges to form outwardly extending tangential channel portions l6, which form passages or channels through which the clothes line, indicated in the dotted line I! in Fig. 1 of the drawing, is free to pass. The plate 8 also has an inwardly offset portion l8 which is disposed in alinement with the edge 90. of the flange 9 so that when the separate parts 5-5a are placed one upon the other, said. edges will abut as will also the parts I 8. The part [8 is provided with a recess H! at one point and at another point with a projecting lug 20, the latter being adapted to enter the recess of the opposed part. These lugs are riveted or bent over to couple the two casing parts 5--5a together, as well as to key said parts against relative movement, in addition to the coupling which is provided through part 1 and also by rivet 21, passing through projecting cars .22, for securing a supporting ring or loop to said. cars. In this connection, it will be understood that any type of mounting or coupling member 23 may be employed depending entirely upon the use to which the invention is employed.

By ofisetting the wall [1,. the casing of the device is kept as narrow or as thin as possible while at the same time eliminating a projecting member at the side surfaces of the casing, it being understood that the riveted studs III, are disposed within the recess formed by the depressed walls H, as clearly seen in Fig. 3 of the drawing.

Each pulley part 6 consists of a plate portion 24, having an outwardly and angularly extending peripheral flange 25, forming when the part 6-6a are coupled together by welding, riveting, or otherwise, at the point indicated at 26 in Fig. 1 of the drawing, an annular channel in the periphery of the pulley in which the clothes line H is adapted to operate. The plate I4 is provided centrally with an outwardly pressed portion 21, having an aperture 28, which is adapted to fit freely over the enlarged side portions 29 of the part I, as will appear upon a consideration of Fig. 3 of the drawing. The offset portions 21 also forming the race for ball bearings 30 which are arranged and operate upon the central curved portion 31 of the part I; this construction providing a ball bearing mounting for the pulley which will provide free and easy action of the pulley within the housing. At the same time, a strong and durable pulley structure is provided by virtue of the formation of the casing parts and the manner of attaching part I thereto, as will be apparent.

In assembling the device, one pulley part 6-6a is arranged upon a suitable surface. The part 1 is then placed in the aperture 28, the bearing balls 30 are then arranged in the depressed portion 21 and around the reduced central portion 3| of the part I, the other pulley part is then arranged upon the first'named part and said parts are welded together as at 26, thus forming an assembled unit. Thereafter, this unit is placed in one of the parts 5a, the other part being then arranged in position, and the studs l3 riveted over as at I4, and the members 20 riveted or bent to secure the parts 5--5a together, after which the mounting or supporting member 23 is attached. When the parts are assembled it will appear that the side edges of the pulley unit or the flange portions 25 thereof, are disposed in close proximity to the Wall of the casing but free to rotate therein. This close arrangement of the parts prevents any possible displacement of the clothes line I! from the pulley as will be apparent.

It will be understood that the device herein disclosed is merely illustrative of one use of the invention and that the structure of the parts may be modified to suit other uses to which devices of this kind may be applied. While the device or the separate parts are preferably fashioned from sheet metal, it will also appear that in some uses other sheet material may be employed, depending entirely upon the particular use for which the device is made and also the strength of the device.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A pulley device comprising a housing and a member freely and non-frictionally rotatable in the housing, said member comprising a pulley unit proper consisting of two-disc-shaped sheet metal parts having outwardly pressed and apertured ball bearing racers centrally thereof, a shaft having a central annular groove, the ends of the shaft terminating in reduced pin parts forming large bearing surfaces at the ends of said shaft around said pin parts, the disc-shaped parts of said member being secured together on said shaft with a plurality of bearing balls disposed between the grooved portion of the shaft and said bearing racers in forming said unit with the outer surfaces of the shaft protruding beyond the outer surfaces of said racers, said housing comprising two similar sheet metal parts of cupped formation to provide free movement of said rotatable unit therein, the housing having outwardly arranged openings to permit the passage of a clothes line into and out of said housing and around said unit, the central portion of the separate parts of the housing having inwardly pressed apertured bearings adapted to seat upon the outer surfaces of said shaft, and the pin parts being riveted over in firmly securing the shaft to the housing parts and so as to centralize the rotatable unit in and provide free rotatable movement in the housing.

2. A pulley device comprising a housing and a member freely and non-frictionally rotatable in the housing, said member comprising a pulley unit proper consisting of two disc-shaped sheet metal parts having outwardly pressed and apertured ball bearing racers centrally thereof, a shaft having a central annular groove, the ends of the shaft terminating in reduced pin parts forming large bearing surfaces at the ends of said shaft around said pin parts, the disc-shaped parts of said member being secured together on said shaft with a' plurality of bearing balls disposed between the grooved portion of the shaft and said bearing racers in forming said unit with the outer surfaces of the shaft protruding beyond the outer surfaces of said racers, said housing comprising two similar sheet metal parts of cupped formation to provide free movement of said rotatable unit therein, the housing having outwardly arranged openings to permit the passage of a clothes line into and out of said housing and around said unit, the central portion of the separate parts of the housing having inwardly pressed apertured bearings adapted to seat upon the outer surfaces of said shaft, the pin parts being riveted over in firmly securing the shaft to the housing parts and so as to centralize the rotatable unit in and provide free rotatable movement in the housing, and other means on peripheral edges of the housing parts for keying and securing the same together to prevent relative movement with respect to each other.

3. In a pulley device of the class described, a pulley housing for enclosing the pulley of said device, said housing being formed from two similar parts of sheet material, each part comprising a substantially disc-shaped body having tangentially disposed channels at opposite sides thereof, said channels forming when the parts are assembled two tubular openings extending into the hollow body of said housing, means involving a shaft having a large central portion and reduced pin ends forming an axis for the rotation of the pulley within said housing, the central portions of said housing parts being pressed inwardly and seating upon the outer surfaces of the enlarged portion of said shaft around the pin ends, said pin ends being riveted over to firmly secure the housing parts together upon the outer surfaces of said shaft, and other means at peripheral edges of the housing parts for keying and securing said parts together against relative movement.

WILLIAM H. ZIMBALIST. 

